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Recharge Wrap-up: Chevy Volt named KBB "Best Buy," slow BMW i3 sales in Germany

The Chevrolet Volt has been awarded Kelley Blue Book's Electric/Hybrid Car Best Buy for 2015. KBB cited the car's electric commuter capabilities, extended range, acceleration, design and overall value as reasons to place it above the Nissan Leaf, BMW i3 and Toyota Prius. It works well in the real world, and doesn't leave drivers with range anxiety. Plus, it's comfortable, and a fun car to drive, according to KBB. Read more at Kelley Blue Book. The BMW i3 is seeing slow sales in Germany. BMW has sold about half the number of i3s it expected in its home country, with about 1,900 sold in the first nine months. BMW projected sales of 5,000 to 6,000 in the first year. BMW partly blames long shipping times for the slow sales, and the company is offering incentives in hopes of getting more people to adopt the electric car. In the US, BMW sold more than 1,000 units each month between August and October. Read more at Green Car Reports. Audi is pursuing new carbon-neutral synthetic fuels - or e-fuels - such as Audi e-diesel. Audi's newest project uses electrolysis of water to create hydrogen, which it then reacts with CO2 extracted from the air. The result is a liquid - called Blue Crude - full of energy from hydrocarbon compounds. The Blue Crude can then be converted into a sulfur-free synthetic diesel called e-diesel. This e-diesel can be used as a drop-in fuel, blended into fossil diesel for a more renewable fuel. Read more at Hybrid Cars. Uber is partnering with Spotify to allow passengers to choose what music they listen to during their ride. Users will be able to choose their own playlist that will be ready and playing for them when they are picked up. It offers a more personalized experience from the ride-hailing service, which, according to Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, is "nirvana" for music lovers. Paying Spotify users will be able to use the feature initially in London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Nashville, New York, San Francisco, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney and Toronto. Check out the video below and read more at Wired. Featured Gallery 2014 Chevrolet Volt View 11 Photos Related Gallery 2014 BMW i3: First Drive View 33 Photos News Source: Kelley Blue Book, Green Car Reports, Hybrid Cars, WiredImage Credit: Chevrolet Green Audi BMW Chevrolet Transportation Alternatives Technology Emerging Technologies Electric Videos recharge wrapup

Recharge Wrap-up: Hyundai/Kia fined $755M for exaggerated MPG ratings; BMW dealers want more i8s

The fine against Hyundai and Kia has grown to $755 million for overstating fuel economy ratings. $360 million of that fine comes from the EPA for violation of the Clean Air Act: $100 million is a civil penalty, $210 million is a forfeiture of greenhouse gas credits and another $50 million will pay for independent fuel economy audits on future models. The remaining $395 million is a settlement for customers who purchased the affected vehicles. A slew of 2011 to 2013 models were found to have fuel economy ratings overstated by one to six miles per gallon. Customers will be awarded funds to offset the unexpected fuel costs or to put toward a new Hyundai or Kia vehicle. Read more at Hybrid Cars. BMW dealers are awaiting details on new dealership standards - and BMW i8 models for their showroom floors. According to BMW National Dealer Forum Chairman Steve Late, BMW dealers are anxiously waiting to see what sort of updates they'll need to do to get in line with BMW's Future Retail 2016 program. As for the new EVs, Late says that the BMW i3 sales were slow to start, but that once people learned more about it, "wham, bam, it is taking off." The i8 shortage is a bigger problem: "I was allocated three for 2014, and I have a waiting list of 47 people. This year, maybe I will get eight or 10, and I still won't be able to fulfill them." Still, Late says he won't sell the cars at an upcharge. Read more at Automotive News. Opel is reportedly planning an electric version of its Karl hatchback. According to German automotive magazine Autobild, Opel will begin selling the diminutive Karl EV by the end of 2018. The electric car will offer a driving range of about 93 miles. The gasoline-powered version is expected to begin deliveries this June. Read more at Automotive News Europe. PSA Peugeot Citroen says it will keep its Hybrid Air program alive as it looks for a cost-sharing partner. Hybrid Air technology uses a compressed air hybrid system to improve fuel economy as we saw in the Peugeot 208 Hybrid Air concept. A French newspaper reported that Hybrid Air won't make it to commercialization, and that the program's team of engineers has been reduced. A PSA spokesperson confirms the change to the program, saying, "We are now waiting for another partner to help us begin the production stage." Read more at Automotive News Europe. Related Video:

BMW expands Takata airbag recall nationwide, 140k 3 Series affected

Following the urging of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, BMW has expanded its recall of vehicles equipped with Takata airbag inflators to cover the entirety of the United States, rather than just high-humidity areas. That means there are about 140,000 owners of 2004 to 2006 model year BMW 3 Series coupes, convertibles, sedans and wagons (that means owners of both E46 and E90 3ers should take note). It's unclear if this recall includes the high-performance M3 Coupe and Convertible. With the expansion of its airbag recall, BMW joins Honda, Mazda, Ford and Fiat Chrysler in moving from a regional to a nationwide recall of vehicles equipped with Takata airbags. According to Reuters, BMW claims none of its vehicles have been subject to the potentially harmful airbag deployments.